'We seek and work towards the integration of foreigners who come to make a contribution'
The new dean of the Malaga consular corps says that one of his goals is to create a body that brings together the consuls of Andalucía
In February 2021, José Luis Ramos was appointed Consul of Romania in Malaga and, since last October, the hotel business owner and former councillor at Malaga city hall is the dean of the consular corps in the province. The corps brings together consuls - both honorary and career - from 55 countries, representing 25% of the member nations of the UN and 1.5 billion people around the world. He will hold this post for two years and intends to give greater visibility to an entity that has more than four centuries of history in Malaga.
-What are the functions of the accredited consuls in Malaga province?
-There are several. Attention to the citizens of these countries residing in the province and to tourists from these countries, for whom problems may arise ranging from the loss of passports to the need for consular assistance for detainees; the cultural promotion of that country with exhibitions, musical or gastronomic events, as well as tourism, whether for Malaga residents to go to that country or vice versa; economic projection by promoting business exchanges and fostering contacts with institutions such as the chamber of commerce, the technology park or the university; and social attention to resident communities or Erasmus students.
-That is the work of each of the consulates. You are now the dean of all of them; what objectives have you set for this mandate?
-A few days ago we held a congress of consuls in Seville and there I proposed to my colleagues from Seville and Cadiz - which together with Malaga are the three provinces where there are deans of the consular corps and which bring together the majority of consuls posted in Andalucía - the creation of an entity that brings together the three deaneries because it is not the same for you to knock on the door of an administration individually to discuss issues as it is to do so representing all the consuls of Andalucía.
- Apart from promoting this body, in the specific case of Malaga, where do your priorities lie?
-In strengthening the visibility of the consul and the importance of their work; reaching more agreements with the chamber of commerce, with the TechPark and with organisations in the tourism sector; influencing the training of residents of countries with consulates, helping them, on the one hand, with the language because it is the way for them to integrate socially, and, on the other hand, guiding them to access the labour market. In addition, we also want to promote everything related to cultural issues.
On his priorities: "I want to increase the visibility of the consul and the importance of their work"
-Is there interest from new countries in opening consulates in Malaga?
-Yes, Malaga is very attractive at the moment. There are countries that are seeing this potential and for them Malaga is a window for the promotion of these countries. Right now we have eight or nine countries that want to open consulates in Malaga and some others that have a consulate post vacancy, such as Ireland or Peru.
-Which countries are interested in opening a consulate in the province?
-Honduras, Nicaragua and Central American countries, especially because of the language and the affinity with the country; also some Central European countries.
-The consular corps in Malaga has a long history; do the people of Malaga know what it is and what it represents for the province?
-No. It is known in very specific areas, but information does not reach the general public. That is why I was saying that one of the objectives is to give it visibility and to make people appreciate its importance. This is also the origin of the proposal to create this unique figure in Andalucía. I must say that the administrations are increasingly understanding the importance of the figure of a consul.
-One of the current social and political debates is the issue of the integration of foreigners living in Spain. Does this situation also reach the consuls?
-Yes, of course. That's why a large part of the activities we carry out, such as exhibitions or gastronomy days based on a given country, are aimed at seeking integration through mutual knowledge between the people of Malaga and the foreigners who live here and who come to make a contribution. We seek and work towards this integration.
International tensions
- Are international geopolitical tensions reflected in those countries that have their consuls in Malaga?
-From some countries there is that tension. But there is the mediating, conciliatory and integrating figure of the consulate. The consul is part of that community and these issues are addressed in the meetings held with groups from those countries.
-Have you already formed the team that will accompany you?
- Yes. Right now, the board of directors, which is the vice-dean and the secretary, have been appointed. And then the delegate commission will be appointed, which is a team of up to nine consuls who will be in charge of different areas. In the case of the vice-deanship, I wanted to go for integration and I have appointed a career consul, who is the representative of Ecuador (Diana Veloz); in Malaga there are basically honorary consuls and there are fewer career consuls, which is why I wanted to integrate her as vice-dean to prevent them from feeling displaced. The secretary will be Fátima Cortés, who is the representative of Uruguay.
